VIII. Social Psychology I: Group Influences

A. Overview

1. Social Psychology: Social Influences on Behavior

2. Some Aspects of Social Psychology

a. Social Perception

b. Attribution Theories

c. Attitude Development

d. Social Influence

e. Group Dynamics

B. Social Roles & Social Influence

1. Roles & Role Flexibility: Societies & Status

a. Castes: Closed Systems

b. Open Class Societies

2. Status and Address Dynamics

a. Formal Markers: Reciprocal vs. Non-Reciprocal

Address

b. Informal ‘Hidden’ Markers

c. Status & Attractiveness: The Aronson ‘Klutz’ Study

C. Language & Social Context

1. Speech Act Theory: Austin; Searle

a. Encoding and Decoding Meanings

b. Indirect Speech Acts & Face-Saving

2. Clark’s Collaborative Communication Model: Negotiating Comprehension

D. Formal Group Dynamics

1. Gray: Group Size & Group Cooperativity

2. Group Dynamics: The Development of

GroupThink & Risky Shift

3. Group Influences on Conformity

a. The Asch Experiment

b. Milgram’s Obedience Study

c. Factors Influencing Obedience

d. Deindividuation in Groups

4. Informal Groups: Latané’s work on

Diffusion of Responsibility

E. Attribution Theory (Jones & Nisbett)

1. Situational vs. Dispositional Attribution

2. Kelly’s Three Factors

a. Distinctiveness

b. Consensus

c. Consistency

3. Self vs. Other: The Fundamental Attribution

Error

4. Valins: My Heart Beats for You!